


acclimation

by graveExcitement (arachnids)



Series: insomniac chronicles [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-25
Updated: 2013-03-25
Packaged: 2017-12-06 12:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/735649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arachnids/pseuds/graveExcitement
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko hates to waste time trying to sleep when he knows the attempt is futile.</p>
            </blockquote>





	acclimation

"You should sleep, Zuko."

His uncle's soft words interrupted the calm quiet in which he had been reading, and he twisted around in his seat to give Uncle a sharp glare. "These scrolls could contain essential information. It's a far more productive use of my time than trying to sleep in this steel trap!"

Uncle just nodded, watching him with an expression Zuko couldn't decipher. "I hope you soon grow used to sleeping on a ship, Prince Zuko," he said, and then left, gently closing the door behind him.

Thank Agni. By now he had finally figured out that trying to sleep more than a few hours was useless. He was just too restless: it was hard to get to sleep in the first place, and worse, even once he fell asleep he found himself waking several times a night. It wouldn't matter if he laid in bed for ten hours, he would still only sleep for four or five, so occupying himself with other activities was simply logical.

Such went the first few weeks - months, even? of his banishment. Eventually, the rocking of the ship - his ship - was no longer an obstacle to sleep, but even if he was less uncomfortable, he was no less restless, and the nightmares were no less persistent.

He always woke at sunrise, and usually began trying to fall asleep five or six hours before then. His uncle, unfortunately, never seemed to understand, which was frustrating to the extreme. If Zuko heard "A man needs his rest" ever again, in his entire life, it would be far too soon, and whoever said it would be in serious danger of incineration.

He was going over the ship's budget for the next six months one night when he heard his door creak open. "Don't bother," he growled.

"Ah, but Zuko," Uncle said, fully entering the room, "it is my duty to nag you about such things. However, I actually came with something else in mind."

Zuko stilled his writing. "Well?" he snapped when his uncle did not disclose his meaning immediately.

"I was thinking," said Uncle, "if you are so determined on staying up late, you could have a cup of tea with me, and perhaps play Pai Sho."

"Uncle," Zuko ground out, "I'm _busy_."

"No more busy than the other times you've allowed me to interrupt you for such a thing," Uncle reminded him.

Zuko sighed. "You're not going to leave, are you." His uncle merely chuckled in response. Zuko rolled his eyes, but set down his brush just the same. "Fine."

Half an hour later, Zuko stared blankly down at their Pai Sho game. He was losing, miserably, but right now he didn't even care. "Are you trying to _bore_ me to sleep?" he asked, with only a slight overtone of irritation.

"Is it working?" 

Zuko rolled his eyes at the blatant hope in his uncle's voice. "If I say yes, will you allow me to forfeit and go back to my room?"

His uncle considered this. "Only if you promise to attempt to sleep when you get there, at least for a few minutes." Zuko made to protest, and his uncle said, "Only a few minutes. Then if you don't fall asleep, you can go back to budgeting."

He would have to be able to roll his eyes all the way back into his head to convey his current emotion. "Fine," he snapped, getting up and striding away without another word.

When he arrived back in his chambers, he became acutely aware that his uncle couldn't actually see him here, and would not be able to tell whether or not he had kept his promise. Sleeping would be pointless right now, he knew it - it wasn't even midnight yet.

And yet. He would only have to lie down for a few minutes in order to fulfill his promise; since it would surely yield nothing, he might as well be true to his word. So Zuko climbed into bed and listened to the waves, felt the rocking of the ship beneath him.

He was very surprised when he opened his eyes and found that it was morning.


End file.
